12 step recovery

Menu

There Is No Chemical Solution To A Spiritual Problem

At some point in time all of us took our first drink or drug. People in AA often say I didn’t like how it tasted, but I sure did like how it made me feel. When you probe a bit deeper, most people who used did so because they were uncomfortable in their own skin. Initially the alcohol or drugs or food did the trick. On some deep level they felt soothed, perhaps for the first time in their lives. Unfortunately, the effects were illusory. As soon as we came down from our alcohol, drug or sugar high, we were exactly in the same place we had been before. Nothing had really changed. So we entered into an endless cycle of pain, drug of choice and remorse. When we finally entered the rooms of AA, NA or OA we learned that using a substance would never fill that deep hole within us. Our problem was spiritual, not physical in nature. We needed spiritual not physical medicine. Our new course of treatment included going to meetings and getting a sponsor. As we healed we upped our dosage and began to work the steps. Prayer and meditation were part of the prescription as well.

Personal Reflection: Am I still trying to use a physical solution for a spiritual problem?